Jaipur was once the third unsafe city for women in India, according to data released by the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) in 2013.The city also recorded the fifth highest number of IPC offences in a list of 19 metropolitan cities in the country in 2019. And in 2020, Rajasthan reported 18.5 thousand economic offences, which is the highest in the country, and Jaipur topped the list.

But in 2022, things are changing, and a different picture is slowly emerging. Community policing is bringing about change in Jaipur now. Let’s take the example of Jaipur West Police. Here, innovative policing is proving effective in preventing crimes. The brain behind it is 2016-batch IPS officer and DCP of Jaipur West Police, Ms. Richa Tomar. The focus of DCP Richa Tomar is to strengthen the beat system. And to do that, she started the ‘My Beat-My Responsibility’ campaign.

This campaign has strengthened the connect between police and common people and reduced the distance between the two to such an extent that policemen have become an integrated part of the community they serve. Indian Masterminds interacted with DCP Richa Tomar to know more about this initiative.

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MY BEAT, MY RESPONSIBILITY

In police terminology, a beat is the territory that a police officer patrols in. Beat policing is based on traditional policing and utilises the close relationship with the community members within the assigned beat to improve police effectiveness and encourage co-operative efforts to make a community safer. DCP Tomar said, “Under this campaign, every beat constable has been instructed to go to his beat area every day and establish communication with the people. Along with this, beat book has also been given to the beat constable, in which, daily details have to be kept. To implement this system, the police officers have also been directed to go to different beats and communicate with the people.”

The entire monitoring is being done by DCP Tomar herself. “The idea is to strengthen the beat system. Beat constables have been also instructed to survey banks, ATMs, jewellers and showrooms in their beat area. Also, he has to make a WhatsApp group and add the people of his area to coordinate with them so that all information is available with him. If people lock their house to go somewhere, they will give information to the beat constable and he will keep a watch on that house till the owners are back.”

EFFECTS VISIBLE ON THE GROUND

The effect of this initiative is visible on the ground. People are now slowly joining this campaign of the police. In fact, they are themselves coming forward to join this initiative by calling up the police. Even, the beat officers have put up boards displaying mobile numbers and police station numbers at the main gates of colonies in their respective beat areas. On receiving information about any locked houses with owners away, the neighbours are immediately informed. Day and night, a special watch is kept by beat officials.

The Jansampark Abhiyan was carried out especially in kachchi bastis, dhanis, schools and colleges. Beat officers reach the spot and listen to the problems of the people and resolved them on the spot. WhatsApp groups are active in all beat areas. Patrolling has been increased in the sensitive places. About 105-110 beat officers visit their respective areas every day and contact people and mark sensitive places for patrolling. Hundreds of ATMs, banks, jewellery shops, electronics shops, deserted and locked houses have been identified for surveillance. The work of verification of vehicles is also going on at full swing.

RECOGNITION OF GOOD WORK

Under this campaign, beat constables who have done excellent work are honored. The beat constables are selected at the district, circle, police station level.

Preparations are also on for the second phase of this campaign. In the second phase, focus will be on installing CCTV cameras in key places, which will be monitored by police stations.